Several years back I worked for a hair salon in Downtown Seattle. The coffee we served to our clients was called Herkimer and there was only one place nearby that sold it. It was two miles up the road at a coffee shop called “Porchlight”.

There were many days when I would clock in for my shift and our store manager Jaimie would tell me that we were out of this precious drink and that I needed to go get more. I’d take the challenge and hop on my bike and bust up the hill. I’d arrive sweaty and out of breath. Zac, the owner, would greet me and I’d mumble something about a bicycle and a hair salon as he handed me the coffee.

During this time, Porchlight was just a seedling in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. And now, a few years later, it’s a strong tree bearing beautiful fruit to an ever growing neighborhood.

And if I’m honest, there’s a part of me that weeps for Capitol Hill and wishes it was still the best kept secret of the city. However, I’m thankful that as it is beginning to burst at its seams, there’s a place like porchlight eager to welcome people and help them create a home. These are the things that make a city valuable. Not just pretty buildings and high tech jobs, but people creating good things. People creating home.